Winter Issue Dec/Jan 2012 2nd Year Anniversary Our latest issue featuring art by Eve Harlowe, Special Music Insert illuminating local artists Planet B. Fashion editorial of West Coast Leather, designs by Emporium Armani, Kairon John Rise of the Phoenix, a Bi-Monthly publication illuminating people of color, from different backgrounds in four (4) areas, including fashion, lifestyle, culture and music. We feel there is a need for our publication f…

August 30, 2010

Monday Aug 30, 2010 – By Zettler Clay “African American” has a peculiar application. If we were to take the
literal meaning of the term, it would not only include the 41-42
million people of African descent born in the U.S., but the 100-150
million people born in Central and South America. Not to mention the
Canadians of African descent.

But we don’t say it with literal intentions. We say it referring
specifically to people of African (sometimes mixed with European)
descent born in the U.S. It speaks more to a phenotype than genotype,
and modern publications aimed toward African Americans (as the term is
commonly used) have picked up this racial football and run with it.

One look at a magazine shelf presents part of the picture. Two
listens to a conversation with a Guyanese or Dominican gives another
parcel. Three issues of Essence or Ebony present a
fuller picture: Businesses rarely cater to both African Americans and
African-Latinos. The partnership between the two cultures is sparse.

This is odd, considering the similarities of both groups. There’s no
need to rehash it all here; one would have to be a part of four
generations of Rip Van Winkles to not be aware of the shared origins.
However, both groups share more than similar roots these days. Latinos
and African Americans accounted for more than half of home foreclosures in California between 2006-2009. Both groups have been hit the hardest
by the recession. Even before the recession, Blacks and Latinos felt
similar pains in the workplace. Between 1999 and 2005, the work force in
Silicon Valley’s largest 10 companies (which includes Hewlet-Packard,
Intel and eBay) grew 16 percent. During this span, Hispanic workers declined by 11 percent while Black workers fell by 16 percent.

Perhaps this current shared plight stems more from professional
experience than overt discrimination. Minority groups in America are the
last to develop a footing in Corporate America, therefore their
standing is more tenuous. Combine that with the economic meltdown and
there is potential for a full-fledged catastrophe.

Or opportunity.

In a scriptwriter’s world, these minority groups would join forces
and become a conglomerate in a similar manner to European immigrants
before them. They would devise a plan and take control of the 30 percent
market share potential to create a pool of wealth untapped in the
current system.

But that scriptwriter, if he or she is good, would acknowledge the
inherent conflicts and nuances in both cultures that would make
partnership difficult. Take the story of Evelio Grillo, the Black Cuban
who was acculturated into the Tampa, Florida African American community
in the 1930s. Grillo realized that U.S. Blacks didn’t care much for the
preservation of speaking Spanish or Catholicism—two staples of Latin
culture.

The English-Spanish divide isn’t insignificant. Many Afro-Latinos
acknowledge the same African ancestry as their North American
counterparts, but qualify their culture by citing manners of
communication (Spanish) and aesthetic tastes (hair type, skin type,
facial features). Considering the fact that Latin America and the United
States have not had the friendliest relationship over the years, it’s easy to see why “African Americans” and Black Latino Americans don’t readily embrace each other.

But for Grillo, those differences didn’t override the social ills
(Jim Crow, xenophobia, lack of representation in the corporate and
political world) that both groups faced. He actively represented both
groups and had a “hybrid identity that can’t be torn apart.”

If there was a better time to shed our American exceptionalism
(monopolizing the term “African American”), now is that time. But before
unity ensues, both groups need to fortify a sense of pride in their
African heritage.

June 01, 2010

From Cape Town with Love: A Tennyson Hardwick Novel

Review "Heart-stopping and crazy sexy, FROM CAPE TOWN WITH LOVE will keep
your pulse pounding through the long night. Tennyson Hardwick is a hero
for the 21st Century. Easy Rawlins, say hello to James Bond!"

--Paul
Levine, author of ILLEGAL

Product Description

THE AWARD-WINNING AUTHORS OF CASANEGRA AND IN THE NIGHT
OF THE HEAT TEAM UP FOR A THIRD TIME TO PRESENT FROM CAPE TOWN
WITH LOVE, A TENNYSON HARDWICK NOVEL.Actor-turned-detective
Tennyson Hardwick has solved two high-profile deaths in Hollywood, but
nothing has prepared him for a race to save a child’s life. Tennyson’s
past in the sex game cost him his new girlfriend, and he brings her to
Cape Town, South Africa—a scenic film destination and playground for the
rich—to try to win her back. There Tennyson is hired as a bodyguard by
superstar Sofia Maitlin when she visits an orphanage to adopt an African
child.Months later, Maitlin offers Tennyson one of Hollywood’s hottest
tickets—a job as a bodyguard at adopted daughter Nandi’s A-list
celebrity birthday party. But the party is over before it begins. When
Nandi’s birthday goes dreadfully wrong, it’s up to a guilt-ridden
Tennyson to save a child’s life and reunite a Hollywood family.But how?
He can’t go to the police, the FBI has threatened to arrest him, and Big
Brother is monitoring his telephone calls. To find Nandi, Tennyson will
have to rely on tips from his father—a retired LAPD captain—and a
mysterious woman from his past, Marsha, who has already proven she can’t
be trusted. His strongest lead is a deadly knife fighter known only as
Spider.

When his search for the missing child crosses Marsha’s covert
investigation into a criminal gang with ties to South Africa, Tennyson
knows that finding Nandi might cost him his freedom—or his life.

Recently
Shadow play Entertainment discovered that it's online edition of its
radio program, Conversations LIVE!, was chosen as one of
Blogtalkradio.com's top 200 shows of 2009! Thanks to all of our loyal
listeners,some tens of thousands across the world, for your support. We
are committed to bringing you the very best of the arts, entertainment
and current events on the radio, and with your help we will continue to
do so.

Shadow
Play Entertainment is pleased to welcome two new authors to its growing
public relations family: Rita B. Davis (OVERWHELMED) and Andre
Johnson (YEARNING FOR CONTROL). Find out more information about
each client at www.shadowplayent.com.

(Sat. March 20, 2010)Shadow Play Entertainment
is pleased to be hosting bestselling author Electa Rome Parks in
events in Jackson and Pearl, Mississippi. See http://tinyurl.com/yb3g76h
for details.

(Fri. March 26th & Sat. March 27,
2010) Shadow Play Entertainment is pleased to be hosting
author/media personality Herndon Davis in events in
Jackson and Pearl, Mississippi. See http://tinyurl.com/yl5juxn
for details.

(Sat. April 3, 2010) Shadow
Play Entertainment welcomes author Rita B. Davis to
discuss her book OVERWHELMED with Conversations Book Club at Appetizers
Restaurant (3000 Hwy 80 E * Pearl, MS) from 6-8p.m.

January 06, 2010

Marcel Emerson makes a stunning literary debut with a gripping tale of
passion, pain and the promise of love. Jennifer Peele and Dontae
Erickson have just entered the prestigious world of Georgetown
University's elite law school. A chance meeting brings them together
and they realize they have a lot more in common than their mysterious
green eyes. Personal tragedies have made them kindred spirits, both
seeking to fill the empty space left by deaths of their mothers.
Jennifer, once a rising songstress, re-ignites her passion for singing
but ends up facing the flames of an abusive relationship with one of
her band members. She struggles to maintain her dignity, her grades and
her failing relationship, in spite of its fatal flaws. Dontae falls
under the spell of a charming law student, Darrel, but their budding
relationship soon withers under the weight of a personal tragedy-the
death of Darrel's father. Darrel makes a quick exit and seems to vanish
off the face of the earth, only to resurface later, with a pregnant
wife in tow. Will Dontae accept Darrel's offer of continuing their
relationship, in spite of the fact that he belongs to someone else, or
will Dontae move on and look for love in the arms of another? My Eyes
Are Green will pull readers into the life and times of the characters,
making them feel as if they are a part of the story and that the
characters are of flesh and blood. The story races to a powerful climax
and decisions are made that will transform each character, forever.

September 03, 2009

In September 1992 a violent inmate named James Demouchette was executed
in Texas for the shooting death of an assistant manager and another man
at a Houston pizza restaurant on Oct. 17, 1976. Now in 2009, his
youngest brother, Jermnine Demouchette, has released a book that not
only chronicles his brother's life but offers hope for young people
that might be prone to follow in his violent footsteps. James Demouchette vs. the State of Texas is
a revealing look into the mind of a violent man whose reputation in and
out of prison earned him the moniker of being "Texas' meanest death row
inmate.""There is no question that James was an evil man," says Jermnine. "The
account I give in the book attempts to take the reader into the mind of
this sociopath, recounting key events in his violent history. There is
also a comprehensive section of documents that shed light on his
existence in prison."In addition to the 1976 murders, James
Demouchette was convicted of fatally stabbing a fellow death row inmate
in 1983 and was sentenced to 15 years. According to reports, he was
disciplined for beating and raping other inmates, stabbing at least two
other offenders, twice set fire to his cell and stabbed two guards
searching his cell.To help get the message of the book out to the public, Jermnine
Demouchette enlisted the services of publicist Cyrus A. Webb. "I am
pleased to help share the message that Jermnine has outlined in his bio
about his brother," says Webb,34. "The story is so personal, but I know
that there are many people across the country that will be able to
relate to some part of it and pick up on the lessons it conveys." (Webb
also serves as the Lead Publicist for authors Norma LaVonne Smith
"Hope, Change & Obama", Mark Eller "Traitor", T. C. Alexander
"Consequences of Adultery", Grandmaster Eric O'Neal "The Legend of
Lionman", Sherry Hill "The Marquise Hill Story" as well as t.v.
personalities Derrick Hargrove & Nikki Shallwani from MTV's 50
CENT: The Money & The Power, and author/recording artist/actor Tray
Chaney from HBO's The Wire. Webb was also the lead publicist for Corey
"C-Murder" Miller's book tour DEATH AROUND THE CORNER.) Webb
is quick to mention, however, that the book is in no way glorifying the
life and actions of James Demouchette. Jermnine explains this way: "The
book will show young kids this is not the way you want your life to be,
using drugs and hurting people. You will end up in jail are on death
row like my brother for the rest of your life. I hope that they will
learn from my family's experience, take control of their lives and be
productive young men and women." Jermnine Demouchette is also
speaking from personal experience. After having his own run-ins with
the law he looked at his life and saw that he wanted something better
for himself and those around him. He believes that by sharing his story
others will be inspired to take a second look at themselves as well. The
book can be purchased on Amazon.com or ordered at your local bookstore.
Demouchette will join Webb in an event called ART, BOOKS & BEATS at
the Comfort Suites Near The Galleria (6221 Richmond Ave. * Houston, TX
77057) on Sat. September 12, 2009 beginning at 2p.m. Admission is free.)

August 26, 2009

EXCERPT FROM CLUTCH ONLINE.COM ~ The controversyover whether recording artist Usher’s estranged wife Tameka Foster plagiarized when she wrote an opinion piece for the Huffington Post is symbolic of the squabbles that plague African-Americans in general.

Foster wrote a blog post called “She’s Pretty for a Dark-Skinned Girl”
for Hufpo last week that garnered much attention and praise. Not only
did the piece show her to be a down-to-earth and strong-minded black
woman, but underscored the hurt she has felt as wife to a
multi-generational superstar.

But, according to one woman, it exposed Foster to be something else: A thief.

Days after the work was posted, author Aisha Curry who wrote a book called “Pretty for a Black Girl” claimed that Foster’s piece had stolen whole passages from her work. CONTINUE READING...

July 27, 2009

On SUNDAY, JULY 26, 2009 @ Conversations LIVE! Radio hosted a special presentation: C. A. Webb Presents "A Tribute To Author E. Lynn Harris". ( Listen to the podcast by visitinghttp://tobtr.com/s/621800.) Conversations LIVE! Radio took a look at his life as an author and
activist with those whom he affected along the way. Among the guests
for the hour were bestselling authors Tony Lindsay (CHASIN'
IT), DaPharoah69 (seen above with Harris/ THE KING OF EROTICA), Latrese
Carter (LIAR, LIAR), N'Tyse (MY SECRETS, YOUR LIES) and James Earl
Hardy (B-BOY BLUES). Webb also shares statements by Sherrie Shepherd
(co-host of The View), Bestselling authors Marita Golden (IT'S
ALL LOVE) and Cheryl Robinson (SWEET GEORGIA BROWN) as well as Patricia
D. Woods of Books2Mention Magazine. (see below)

MARITA GOLDEN, BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF IT'S ALL LOVE:"I
will always remember E. Lynn's generous spirit. He gave of his time,
his talent and his treasure in support of emerging writers consistently
throughout his life and career, He was a board member of the
Hurston/Wright Foundation and was a spirited champion of the work and
mission of the foundation in creating opportunities for Black writers.
He gave generously to the foundation and created opportunities for
others to do the same through parties he hosted. I will miss his sense
of humor, his entertaining stories and the inspiring way he lived his
life."

SHERRIE SHEPHERD, CO-HOST OF THE VIEW:"I am sad that he (E. Lynn Harris) passed. I wish he and his family peace."

CHERYL ROBINSON, BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF SWEET GEORGIA BROWN: "I
cried when I heard the news and as I am writing my thoughts I am still
crying because he was and will continue to be my inspiration. When
times got tough in this business, he was one of the authors I looked
toward, someone I admired for all that he achieved and all that he gave
back. I am deeply saddened by his passing. He will be greatly missed. A
man who gave so much to so many, even to those he had never met
personally. He made an indelible mark in the literary world by being
the first to write about black gay men living an "invisible life". And
he did so in a way that not only entertained but also enlightened women
to a lifestyle that we knew very little of. E. Lynn Harris opened our
eyes and gave us a look inside. He will continue to live on in my heart
and my mind and legions of new fans will continue to experience him
through the vast body of work that he has left behind. E. Lynn Harris
was a truly kind and caring person who made a mark in this world. My
prayers are with his family during this difficult time."

PATRICIA D. WOODS, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF BOOKS2MENTION MAGAZINE:"My
deepest condolences goes out to E. Lynn Harris' family, friends and
fans. We have lost a dynamic storyteller who possessed an uncanny
ability to craft novels that literally pulled readers into the
intriguing world of characters that were interesting and witty, told
with humor and candor, seasoned with just the right amount of
unexpected twists and turns. Delivered with that sensational style that
is without a doubt E. Lynn Harris' exclusive signature. "The first
novel that I read by E. Lynn was Just As I Am. I was so profoundly
touched by this body of work that I read the book four times. "Since
then, I have read and made it my business to stay abreast with all of
his work. We will indeed all miss him and with out a doubt take comfort
from the amazing stories that he crafted, for he has indelibly made a
mark in the literary world and in the lives of all who had the
opportunity to read, gain knowledge and inspiration through his
masterful ability to open our eyes and truly try to see life from a
different perspective. "Thank You E. Lynn Harris for the incredible journey. Rest In Peace."

Conversations
LIVE! Radio thanks all of those who joined the discussion via chat and
listened online. The impact of E. Lynn Harris will continue to be felt
and enjoyed through those he touched with his gift, and the dialogues
he encouraged will have a lasting effect on us all.

July 24, 2009

Renown author E. Lynn Harris passed away on Friday, July 24, at the age of 54, according to the Arkansas Times.The author’s personal assistant confirmed that his health had declined but would not provide any details as to what caused his death. Clutch would like to send our condolences and prayers to Mr. Harris family and friends.

E. Lynn Harris, the best-selling Arkansas author known
for contemporary stories about African-Americans, died today during a
West Coast book tour. His personal assistant confirmed an unspecified
health event this morning, but said she was awaiting word from the
scene before providing specifics.

Arkansas Sports 360 provided the first formal report that Harris had
died. The item did not cite a source, but Harris was close to the UA
Athletic Department and had worked as coach and sponsor of the
cheerleaders. Black Voices later confirmed the report, citing a
spokesman for his publisher.

Word of the health event began making the rounds on Twitter earlier in the morning.

Born in Michigan, Harris grew up in Little Rock. He attended the University of Arkansas
at Fayetteville, where he was the school’s first black cheerleader. He
continued to be a diehard Razorback fan. He has taught adjunct courses
in the English department, most recently last fall.

His latest book, “Basketball Jones,” is about the gay
lover of an NBA star. Says the publicity blurb: “In Basketball Jones,
E. Lynn Harris explores the consequences of loving someone who is
forced to conform to the rules society demands its public heroes
follow. Filled with nonstop twists and turns, it will keep readers
riveted from the first page to the last.” According to his website
biography, Harris, 54, divides his time between Fayetteville and
Atlanta.

April 29, 2009

The 2009 Coretta Scott King Author AwardArtist Kadir Nelson received the 2009 Coretta Scott King Author Award for We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball, the first book he both wrote and illustrated. (Jump at the Sun/Hyperion Books for Children, an imprint of Disney Book Group, 2008. ISBN: 9780786808328)

April 28, 2009

Parties have been scheduled in Little Rock, Memphis, Miami,
Atlanta, Raleigh, Houston, Dallas, San Francisco, Los Angeles,
Philadelphia, Flint, Chicago, Indianapolis, Louisville, Washington D.
C., New York City and Seattle. Each is free and open to the
public, however, those who attend are asked to bring a new or gently
used book as a donation that will go to either the Read Across
America Project, CityKids Foundation, the Common Ground Foundation,
Everybody wins, Adele's Literary Library, Reading Tree or a library in need within that particular city. These events are sponsored in part by For The People Productions, Hype Magazine, Industry Standard Magazine, Poetic Monthly and Crunk Magazine.
Special guests include Derrick Hargrove and Nikki Shallwani from MTV's
50 CENT: The Money & The Power, New York Times Bestselling author
Scott Sigler, author Mark Eller and author Richard Emmell. To
find out more about the reading parties, when and where they will be
held and the work that The Write Stuff is doing in general, visithttp://www.thewritstufftv.com.
For more information about the project and how you can get involved,
contact Herschel Dixon at 1.502.994.7852 or Cyrus A. Webb at
cawebb4@juno.com.

March 11, 2009

Detroit, MI
(BlackNews.com) - Many inner-city residents have found a way to duck
the cocaine noose of the drug dealer only to be digested by the AIDS
epidemic or some other sexually transmitted menace which could have
been easily prevented with the use of a latex condom. So, Detroit
author, E. Scrill made the warning to use protection prevalent in
nearly every chapter of his debut novel, Drug Lords. Scrill uses provocative cover art with plans to lure readers from every genre' to get his message to "strap up!" "Drug Lords
is far from your usual stories of guns and dope," says Scrill, who
spent a year with rewrites and research with an actual biochemist to
make one of the character's struggle to find a cure for the ZGP virus
realistic. In
the book, the Zestora virus has mutated. The new form, Zestora
Gram-Positive (ZGP), is spread by the exchange of bodily fluids. It
attacks the central nervous system and allows no one to live more than
six months after becoming infected. A cross between New Jack City and Outbreak,
the story is centered in Detroit where Mack--the protagonist--learns
that most of the street bosses he planned to evict from their thrones
had already been sentenced to death by their own promiscuous
activities. Frequent funerals and lousy situations involving degenerate
thugs with wretched underpinnings deepen Mack's dread for the funky
retirement packages the streets issue. As Mack realizes he was
brainwashed into the street life like legions of inner-city residents,
a young woman steals his heart and shows how he can save the world as
he exits the drug game a very rich man. Lester Ricks, a representative of Alliance Book Group says, "Drug Lords
was fire! Scrill is trying to take the pen game to a whole new level!"
New York based Alliance is one of the companies who have selected the
urban publication for distribution. After
doing time in a Michigan prison for guns and 20 pounds of green stuff,
author E. Scrill received a 2006 parole. He scraped together enough for
a 100-book print run, then began selling his debut novel, Drug Lords, in the cash-strapped streets of Detroit. He traded his inked magic for money, and in 2007 founded Street Ink Publications. Drug Lords has finally reached bookstores and is also available on line at www.streetinkbooks.com. His sophomore novel, Children of the Night, will be available winter '09! Street Ink Publications is now reviewing works by other up and coming authors.

March 04, 2009

Reviewed by Stanley Bennett Clay
-- “I recently met this boy who has officially made me forget that I am
bitter, sarcastic, judgmental, and eccentric as hell,” the author
accurately self-observes near the end of this funny, poignant,
articulate, witty and brutally honest collection of 27 letters based on
incidences in his perfectly normal dizzying black gay life, but
exaggerated and fictionalized for maximum entertainment value.Both of Mr. Ariel’s barrels are fully loaded with Addison DeWittisms
lethal as paper cuts or an arsenal of Dorothy Parker slams, often at
his own expense, resulting in a delightfully caustic read; hysterical
and humanized by self-deprecation and keen observations of not only the
world around him but his deepest thoughts and the bright and dark sides
of his heart and soul.He opens his slight but potent collection (113 pages) with a letter to
his best friend revealing deftly the all-too-familiar nuances of such
an alliance, especially in the black gay world.A lovely letter of gratitude and love to his mother follows, filled
with sentiments all mother-loved sons have felt but have rarely been
able to articulate on paper as well as this writer does. It is sheer
poetry, as poetic as the letter to his father, divorced from his wife,
but clearly not divorced from his son. I laughed out loud at Ariel’s poison-pen-damn-you-to-hell-and
yo-mamma-for-birthing-you-too tirade when he saw his ex with another
man (come on, we’ve all written one, if only in our minds) and the
about-face apology missive that follows (been there, done that).Among the many delectable morsels served up by our middle class,
well-educated, proudly gay, New York loving-hating narrator is a
surreal close-encounter with a fake Prada-wearing she-devil on the
crowded A train in the bowels of the city on a hot day when he ain’t
feelin’ it and ends up explaining to the men in blue why he went off
and got physical with Shaniqua. One of the most touching letters is another A train observation; a
homeless black man, invisible to most, becomes fully present when a
young white ‘prippy’ engages him in a discussion of James Baldwin’s
“Another Country.”And while Ariel’s letter to New York City, a funny-bitter
thanks-for-the-memories-but-me-and-my-man-are-about-to-do-the-white-picket-fence-thing-in-North-Carolina,
is a bridge-burning denunciation of urban squalor, excess, and stress,
and homage to the joys of country living, his letter to Mr. Funeral
Director is a piss-elegant drag queen’s list of every filigree
indulgence to be served up in honor of his demise.Oh yes, our narrator is one bourgie, label-loving, class-conscious,
color-struck bro, but that’s half the fun. There is much to be admired
about this author who is willing to let his mind dance so nakedly on
the stage of life. The thoughts he has committed to paper (in prose
beautifully and artfully composed) feel authentic, paining us with
truth at times, causing us to laugh with recognition quite often, and
showing us a way to examine what’s really on our minds, as scary as
that sometimes might be. And although Mr. Ariel’s non-linear approach renders the ending a bit
anti-climatic, even somewhat arbitrary, his collection of
autobiographical fiction is as winning and as neat as a very dry
martini! A penny for his thoughts? Hardly. Mr. Ariel’s thoughts are worth their weight in gold.

March 02, 2009

Monday, March 2, 2009 --- This week's Crunk Magazine Newsletter features Industry News on the historic literary reality show The Write Stuff as well a feature on Derrick Hargrove from the MTV reality show 50 CENT: Crunk Magazine is a proud sponsor ofThe Write Stuff reality show and will feature the winner in its online and print editions later this year. To read this week's edition of Crunk Newsletter, visit this link: http://magazinecrunk.powweb.com//march/crunk_weekly_march.html

February 17, 2009

Beef with Bad Boy Entertainment is nothing new in Hip-Hop.
From Loon to the L.O.X., to Suge and Shyne Po, various cats have been
disgruntled with Diddy’s movements at one point or another over the years.

Mark Curry, however, is a different case. The rapper/producer
has written a new book, Dancing With the
Devil (NewMark Books), outlining the good, bad
and ugly of his eight years on Bad Boy’s roster before leaving in 2005. Here he shares with AllHipHop.com his
thoughts on “superstar A&R’s,” Diddy’s Making
the Band franchise and why the pen is much mightier than the sword. AllHipHop.com: Is the Dancing With the Devil a tell-all or a
cautionary tale? Mark Curry: It’s not a tell-all; it’s
more like a handbook. It’s just the truth. It’s a story about two men and their
differences; just that struggle. AllHipHop.com: When you say that struggle do you mean a clash of
personalities, a difference of ethics or both?

Mark Curry: Both. It comes down to right and wrong. There’s a fine
line between heaven and hell and that’s why the book is entitled Dancing with the Devil. It’s not a
pretty picture but it takes a strong person to survive. The book is
inspirational to youth as well. I lost a lot of things chasing a dream. If I
could go back and put the dream aside, I’d spend more time with my mother, my
family, just real life instead of on the road. CONTINUE READING...

Power and influence in
the United States are concentrated in three major sectors—government,
corporations, and Wall St. African-Americans have been successful at
using one of them—government—in our struggle for full participation in
this society. But if Robert Reich is right, the power sector we’ve been
leaning on is the wrong one for the 21st century. Reich is a
professor of public policy at the University of California at Berkeley,
and served as Secretary of Labor in the Clinton administration. In his
new book, “Supercapitalism: The Transformation of Business, Democracy
and Everyday Life” (New York, Alfred A. Knopf, 2007), he argues that
the forces of capitalism—corporations and Wall St.—are overwhelming the
forces of democracy—government, labor unions, and grassroots political
organizations—to the detriment of the common good. It’s a compelling
argument. And it does not augur well for African-Americans. Reich
defines Supercapitalism as a dramatic shift in the U. S. and world
economies to a ruthlessly competitive market system, in which consumers
and investors have been big winners. “Meanwhile,” he argues, “the
democratic aspects of capitalism have declined. The institutions that
undertook formal and informal negotiations to spread the wealth,
stabilize jobs and communities, and establish equitable rules of the
game—giant oligopolies, large labor unions, regulatory agencies, and
legislatures responsive to local communities—have been eclipsed.
Corporations now have little choice but to relentlessly pursue
profits…Democratic capitalism has been replaced by Supercapitalism.” Reich
traces the dawn of the era of Supercapitalism to the1970s, when
deregulation, the advent of global supply chains, and the migration of
powerful new technologies such as semiconductors, fiber optics, and the
Internet from the laboratories of the Pentagon to the world of business
sent the U. S. and world economies soaring. Following the
deregulation of the U. S. financial industry in the mid-70s, Reich
argues, Wall St. became extremely effective at aggregating the power of
investors to force corporate executives to maximize the market value of
their companies. If they failed to do that, he says, capital moved
quickly and efficiently to more profitable companies, with dire
consequences for the laggards. The power of consumers was aggregated
in much the same way. As investors, we like high returns in our
pension plans, mutual funds and 401ks. And as consumers, we’ve come to
expect great products at bargain prices, with high-quality customer
service available at the touch of a telephone or computer keypad. But
the consequences of Supercapitalism are not so benign for us as
citizens, according to Reich. Wal-Mart can’t offer the bargains we
find on its shelves without keeping its employees’ wages low and
cutting their benefits to the bone. Energy companies can’t heat our
homes and power our cars at today’s price levels without polluting the
environment and producing global warming. Corporations can’t maximize
profits without compensation practices that create a level of income
inequality we’ve never seen before in the history of this country. Reich
sees the problem as an imbalance in the widely differing efficacies of
capitalism and democracy in performing their separate and often
conflicting jobs. Capitalism’s job, he says, is
straightforward—to grow the economic pie. And, he argues, corporations
and Wall St. are performing that job superbly. Democracy’s job is much
more complicated: determining how the slices of the pie should be
divided up, and setting the rules under which capitalism operates. The
institutions of democracy, he argues, are failing in their performance
of those tasks. So what of African-Americans? Does Supercapitalism affect us any differently than it affects other Americans? SOURCE:EBONYJET.COM

September 2012

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